Astakhova, Polina (1936—)

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Astakhova, Polina (1936—)

Ukrainian gymnast. Born on October 30, 1936; grew up in the Ukraine.

Won Olympic gold medal on uneven bars (1960, 1964), silver medals on floor exercise (1960, 1964), bronze medals in the all-around (1960, 1964), and team gold (1956, 1960, 1964), all while representing the Soviet Union.

Though she had to compete in the imposing shadows of Larissa Latynina and Vera Caslavska in three Olympic Games, the talented gymnast Polina Astakhova took five gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. In Melbourne in 1956, Astakhova received an all-around bronze for the portable apparatus and a team all-around gold. In Rome in 1960, she took a bronze in the all-around, a silver in the floor exercises, a gold in team all-around, and a gold on the uneven parallel bars. In Tokyo in 1964, she won a bronze in the all-around, a silver in the floor exercises, a gold in the team all-around, and a gold in the uneven parallel bars.